FIBROBLAST GROWTH FACTOR 2 (FGF2) IS INVOLVED IN THE REGULATION OF SPERMATOGENESIS. STUDIES WITH THE KNOCK-OUT MODEL

SAUCEDO L; RUMPEL R; SOBARZO C; BRANDES G ; LUSTIG L; VAZQUEZ-LEVIN M; GROTHE C; MARIN BRIGGILER CI

Congreso; Reunión conjunta de Sociedades Biomédicas; 2017

In previous studies from our laboratory we have described the presence of Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 (FGF2) and its receptors (FGFRs) in human testis and sperm, and the results suggest that this system is involved in the regulation of human spermatogenesis and sperm motility (Saucedo et al, 2015; Garbarino Azúa et al, 2017). The aim of the present study was to further analyze the role of FGF2 in the maintenance of sperm physiology using FGF2 knock-out (KO) mice. Our results have shown that in wild type (WT) animals, FGF2 is expressed in all germ cells of the seminiferous epithelium, with higher expression in spermatids and sperm. In epididymal sperm, the protein was immunolocalized in the flagellum and acrosomal region. The FGF-2 KO males display no apparent fertility defects, since their mating with WT females showed no differences in the time to delivery, litter size and pups weight in comparison to WT males. Analysis of cauda epididymal sperm from KO animals indicated no differences in sperm motility, but a significant increase (p